0801/158.359
PN
Internal only
MasseyUniversity
Palmerston north campus
Examination for
158.359 human-computer interaction
Semester One – June 2008
Time allowed: three (3) hours
This exam consists of FOUR(4)questions.
Students are required to answer ALLFOUR(4)questions.
Marks are shown in brackets, e.g. [5 marks]
This is a closed book examination
CALCULATORS ARE NOT PERMITTED
Question 1
(a)Which of the following are interface metaphors?
Mouse
Keyboard
Desktop
Monitor
Button
Spreadsheet
Pixel
Window
Touchscreen
Recycling bin
The Times Roman font
For loop
[5 marks]
(b)Discuss the statement "Perception trumps cognition"from the point of view of computer interfaces, citing at least two examples in support of your argument, including an explanation of whythose examples supportyour argument.
[5 marks]
(c)It's been said that the human mind can remember chinks of information. Discuss the truth of this statement, and cite two situations in which it has been misused in the design of computer interfaces.
[5 marks]
(d)You've been working for an IT company for a few years, and the product you designed and implemented has been so successful, and is bringing in so much money that you have been given a free hand, and effectively unlimited budget, to design the next product – a system for facilitating cooperative work environments between people at remote locations (where remote means a long way from each other, not a long way from civilisation).
Produce an exciting conceptual design for this system that it would be possible to build with existing or reasonably foreseeable technology.
[10 marks]
Question 2
(a)Outlinethree ways of communicating an interaction design, and describe situations in which each way would be appropriate.
[5 marks]
(b)Define usability. Give at least one example of a system with good usability and at least one example of a system with bad usability, giving reasons to support your position in each case.
[5 marks]
(c)Define Use Cases. How are Essential Use Cases different from Use Cases?
[5 marks]
(d)Outline some tools that you might use for eliciting requirements for a user interface, and suggest situations in which each might be appropriate or inappropriate.
[5 marks]
(e)Define the term Wizard-of-Oz as it is used in interface development, specify the phase of interface development at which it is appropriate, and suggest why it is an appropriate tool to use.
[5 marks]
Question 3
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of using the following in the context of interface evaluation?
(a)The DECIDE framework[5 marks]
(b)Heuristic Evaluation[5 marks]
(c)Interviews[5 marks]
(d)Questionnaires[5 marks]
(e)Observation[5 marks]
Question 4
Looking to the future:
(a)
(i)What is meant by an HCI pattern?[2 marks]
(ii)What role do you see for the use of HCI patterns in interface design?
Fullyexplain your answer.[5 marks]
(b)Discuss the specific problems that have to be overcome when evaluating:
(i)Mobile devices (e.g. Mobile phone with camera)[6 marks]
(ii)Computer mediated communication (e.g. Video conferencing)[6 marks]
(iii)Ubiquitous computing (e.g. Smart home)[6 marks]
Use examples to illustrate your answer. These can be based on the examples provided or other appropriate applications.
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